Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-10-21

"Hilda Tremayne!" she repeated in
GREATNESS voice, as her color c1auged
Did Lonsdale know when they psrtet
that this enterprising young lady wa
going to India with him In the same ship
II SO, why did he conceal his knoWl
edge, and why omlt the fact in his las
letter?
To avoid annoying her, as prudence
and confidence suggested, If that was his
real reason, which Uncle Grimshaw wa!
acute enough, by torturing insinuation tC
render cloudy, vague, disquieting and vile
eff she is engaged to Mr.. Musgrsve
what is she doing on board that Indiar
steamer" asked Melanie, all ignoran
that the fair Hilda only went so far &!
Port Said.
"Who told you she was engaged to any
one?"
Montague Lonsdale."
"Of course, to throw dust in your eyes
poor fool; or her marriage, as in many
other instances, may have been broken Off
ANY way, the name of her father, the gen.
eral, appears also among the passengers. >
Mel6nie became silent, and the strange
coincidence gave her food for much
thought, especially after she convinced
herself-which she did-bY perusing the
list of passengers in the Pagoda; and it
was equally patent to her that Montague
Lonsdale had never referred to the mys-
FERROUS presence OF Hilda on board.
For time it stung Melanie to the
heart; but still she hoped it might be ex-
planned away by his next letter which she
expected from the Point de Gale. Mean
while, however, the episode was one out
of which Uncle Grimshew was artful
enough to make the most and worst. act
ing upon hints from Chillington Park
but ere long Melanie had more pressing
notwithstanding troubles - nearer al
hand to occupy her mind.
She did not see much of her friend Amy
Brendon just now; doubtless the latter
was full of her own hapr mess aud the
progress of her love affair with Horace
Musgraye, and Melanie rather liked to be
alone.
Alone, that she might be free to frame
excuses for Lonsdale's silence in the
matter of Hilda Tremsyne, that she might
think of him uninterruptedly as much as
she chose and look forward with growing
and happy confidence to the time of his
return; but also, how much had he inev-
itsbly to pass through in the way of dan
ger from the risks of war and a mosI
pestilential climate, ere that day came.
Melanie seemed now to be no longer {
girl, but woman; one with an heritage
of pain, with something of humiliation
and desolation in her eyes at times, while
striving to give all her attention to the
studies of Dick, to relieve Mr.. Grim
shaW's pocket as much as possible; anC
Dick, feeling himself somewhat of a mil.
lionaire, with Lonsdale's sovereigns, mac
invested in boxes of gloves and perfumes
for Melanie, in a fine meerschaum TO.
Reggie, and new and most resplenden
collar to Bingo, to whom he discovered
Uncle Grimshsw surreptitiously admins
tering most vicious kick when the poo.
animal was merely sitting on mat out
side the door, and scraping at the latte,
with two little impa lent paws, as rapidly
as they were wontto stratch into the holes
of rabbits and rats.
Dick had never forgotten who it wa!
that some time before this had made
away with all his rabbits and white mice,
and vowed vengeance. He despised the
adjunct Of hedgehog on this occasion, anC
with no small skill contrived to INTRODUCES
an entire wasps' nest in close vicinity K
his affectionate uncle's bed, with a sting
ing result which that parsonage was IN
likely to forget to his dying day.
CHAPTER XxIv-THE DESPATCH BOX.
"No letter for me, uncle-no letter fo
me?" again asked Melanie, with bag
gard aud anxious expression of face, al
Mr.. Grimshaw, after investigating th'
contents of his new institution, the lette
bag, or despatch box, rather, CAREFUL,
re-lockipg it, and consigned the key t
his pocket.
"None, regret to say" he replied
ing napkin, applied himself to his break
fast, beginning with a pate de foie gras
"What can have happened?" exclaimed
Melanie, looking about her with be-
Wildered air.
"That which 80 often happens, especi
ally with soldiers and Sailors" said Mr.
Grimshaw, as malicious smile spread
over his face and seemed to ripple up tc
the summit Of his bkld, shining pate
''your friend Captain Lonsdsle has gone
far away, and, like most men of his kind
has many modes of getting over thai
separation which you feel SO hard tc
endure. He has comrades, duties to at
tend to, change of scene, amusements,
pleasures-a shining stream of life tC
float upon; but you, and women like you
who are compelled to stay at home, must
stifle oil such thoughts as impossible
these regrets for selfish forgetfulnese
amid the tame surroundings where, per-
maps, you have once been so happy-pur-
suing the same vapid occupations and
seeing the same persons. while the man
but we won't talk OF him." said Mr.
Grimshaw, rasping up his horn-like side
tufts and feeling rather pleased with his
own eloquence, after putting poor Ions.
dale's last letter, unopened, into the fire.
Chow can you say those things, un.
cle?" asked Melanie, with difficulty re-
strainiDgher tears, and reading strange
expression of mistrust in the eyes OF
Reggie-mistrust of Mr.. Grimshaw.
absence is said to make the heart
grow fonder," resumed the latter; SHUT
1 believe that enough Of it will tend to
forgetfulness rather than deeper regard"
"How cruelty practical you are " said
Melanie, in low voice.
II Lonsdale had written from the Point
de Gale, his letter must have miscarried,
she thought, and she must now have pa
thence till he reached Calcutta.
"MilItary men are, no doubt, very odd"
said Aunt Chillington, who had come to
spend few days at the cottage, with the
view Of influencing her niece. "We know
not, but ne may have wife alresdy-like
that wretch Montressor, of the same reg,
imentl daresay every man in it has q
couple, at least" she added, as if refer,
ring to the ". Veteran Battalion, of ia.
nous memory.